WARREN COUNTY -- Prosecutor David Fornshell today says a local school district and its superintendent have remedied a situation where a letter sent to residents violated election law.
Fornshell said Franklin City School Superintendent Arnol Elam wrote a letter to students' parents, which was mailed and posted on the district website, that contained the following statement:
âAs parents and friends of our district, I hope that you will do two things: First, please join me in an active campaign to ensure that Gov. Kasich and any legislator who supports him are not re-elected,â the letter read, in part.
Fornshell said he initiated an investigation upon seeing the letter, which he said was given to him by a concerned resident.
"The Offending Language appeared to violate Ohio Revised Code 9.03(C)(1)(e) which prohibits the use of public funds to publish or distribute any newsletter that â[s]upports or opposes the nomination or election of a candidate for public office, the investigation, prosecution, or recall of a public official, or the passage of a levy or bond issue,â Fornshell said.
The prosecutor said Elam and the Franklin City School Board acknowledged the letter violated the law and Elam was personally paying the district for the cost of mailing the letter. Also, he and the board members were using their own money to again mail a letter to parents explaining the violation and how they were rectifying the situation.
Fornshell said he is satisfied with the school district's actions.
"I have advised both Superintendent Elam and the FCSD Board that our office was satisfied with this outcome, and that our office would not be pursuing further action relating to the Offending Language." Fornshell said.
Fornshell also said he rejected the allegations that his investigation of the letter was politically motivated.
"Those allegations are completely untrue," Fornshell said. "Neither Governor Kasich, the Ohio Republican Party, the Warren County Republican Party, local legislators, nor any of their representatives had anything to do with my decision to initiate an investigation into this matter. Rather, I made the decision to investigate immediately upon my review of the Offending Language in the Letter that had been forwarded to me by the concerned Warren County resident."
Fornshell said Franklin City School Superintendent Arnol Elam wrote a letter to students' parents, which was mailed and posted on the district website, that contained the following statement:
âAs parents and friends of our district, I hope that you will do two things: First, please join me in an active campaign to ensure that Gov. Kasich and any legislator who supports him are not re-elected,â the letter read, in part.
Fornshell said he initiated an investigation upon seeing the letter, which he said was given to him by a concerned resident.
"The Offending Language appeared to violate Ohio Revised Code 9.03(C)(1)(e) which prohibits the use of public funds to publish or distribute any newsletter that â[s]upports or opposes the nomination or election of a candidate for public office, the investigation, prosecution, or recall of a public official, or the passage of a levy or bond issue,â Fornshell said.
The prosecutor said Elam and the Franklin City School Board acknowledged the letter violated the law and Elam was personally paying the district for the cost of mailing the letter. Also, he and the board members were using their own money to again mail a letter to parents explaining the violation and how they were rectifying the situation.
Fornshell said he is satisfied with the school district's actions.
"I have advised both Superintendent Elam and the FCSD Board that our office was satisfied with this outcome, and that our office would not be pursuing further action relating to the Offending Language." Fornshell said.
Fornshell also said he rejected the allegations that his investigation of the letter was politically motivated.
"Those allegations are completely untrue," Fornshell said. "Neither Governor Kasich, the Ohio Republican Party, the Warren County Republican Party, local legislators, nor any of their representatives had anything to do with my decision to initiate an investigation into this matter. Rather, I made the decision to investigate immediately upon my review of the Offending Language in the Letter that had been forwarded to me by the concerned Warren County resident."